Bat in business class forces Air India flight to return to Delhi

AIR INDIA B787-8 VT-ANR (MSN 36289)

I have heard many reasons on why an aircraft had to return to the airport shortly after take off, but this story is absolutely crazy.

An Air India flight from Delhi (DEL\VIDP) to Newark (EWR\KEWR) was forced to return to the airport due to a bat in the cabin. Passengers and crew noticed the animal around 20 minutes after takeoff and promptly reported it to the pilots. The aircraft safely landed in Delhi two hours and eight minutes later after burning fuel and the bat was removed.

According to NDTV, the incident occurred on Air India flight AI105 from New Delhi to Newark on Thursday (27th May). The flight departed at 02:28 AM local time for the 14-hour journey to the US. However, roughly 20 minutes into the flight, passengers and crew in business class realized something shocking: there was an unwelcome guest onboard.

While on the ground, a bat seems to have entered the plane and evaded the detection of the cabin crew during pre-flight checks. Once in the air, the bat took to the skies once again, with passengers onboard recording videos of the animal flying through the aircraft.

Upon noticing the bat flying through the aircraft (in clear defiance of safety rules during takeoff may we add), the crew quickly informed the pilots. As is the procedure, the flight turned back around to Delhi to remove the bat as soon as possible.

However, landing a Boeing 777-300ER filled with fuel for a 14-hour flight is not simple as it seems. Due to the aircraft’s weight, the plane had to first circle over Delhi Airport to reach the maximum landing weight permitted. Landing without burning fuel can result in a hard landing, possibly structurally damaging the aircraft.

Once the aircraft, VT-ALM (MSN 36311) returned to the gate passengers were transferred to another aircraft with fresh crew, the second aircraft VT-ALU departed 6.37 AM 

AIR INDIA B777-337 VT-ALU (MSN 36319)